Liar's Facade
by AonoRunic
Summary: It all came down to information. Loki needed more of it if he was going to defeat the Avengers, and a freshly single Tony Stark -drowning his sorrows with booze and women- was much too tempting a target to resist.
1. Keeper of Secrets and Angel of Mysteries

I was going to sit on this awhile longer until I had fully finished the last chapter, but the reviews for Where We Lie made me so happy my self control crumbled.

Prompt Fill from frostironkink:

Fem!Loki. Loki has escaped Asgard and is on earth. He wants something from the Avengers (device/information ect. I'll leave that up to author =D)and quickly realizes that a freshly single Tony Stark - drowning his sorrows with booze and women - is his best bet for getting close so shapeshifts into a beautiful woman and sets about seducing him. Bonus points if his female form is similar to his male form; dark hair, green eyes ect.

/

Information. That is the problem. Barton had not given him enough information. For a plan to succeed one needed information on every variable. If Loki is to defeat the Avengers he needs more information on their weaknesses, which means he needs to slip his way into their little circle. He had worried that such a thing might be rather hard, what with them being on guard for such a thing after Thor had returned with news of his escape, but Tony Stark's break up with his CEO Pepper Potts has been all over their silly little news programs. Loki feels the smirk cross his face as the rather simple plan beings to gestate. Really, it could not have come at a better time. Poor Stark will need comfort after all.

/

Tony went out because he wanted booze and company, but now that he is out he wants nothing to do with anyone besides the bartender. He should have just stayed home and poured his own drinks. He has been approached twice by women who ignore his glare, and he has not even been here longer than half an hour. They do not stay around very long. His drink of choice tonight is a 7 and 7, and as he motions for the bartender to pour him another (his fourth? fifth?) a long legged, dark haired woman claims the seat next to him at the bar.

Tony finds his glare losing its intensity as he studies her. She is pale and elegant, regal even. Her black dress clings to her form, emphasizing her heavy breasts and shapely hips. She has chosen not to restrain her hair, letting it fall to her mid-back. The bartender slides her a green goblin at the same time he sets Tony's 7 and 7 down before him. Her eyes, dark and green and penetrating right down into his soul, follow the movement until her attention focuses on the inventor. There is no denying that she is beautiful, but Tony has seen beautiful women before. There is something else about this woman, something he can't quite put his finger on, but it makes him ache and desire all at once.

"I'm not looking for company tonight," he says smoothly, liar's façade hiding just how much her mere presence has thrown him. Pepper had broken up with him six days ago. It's too soon to jump into something, even a one night stand, isn't it? But that was one of the reasons he had originally dragged himself out here, and now his thoughts were just chasing themselves in circles. (Oh, but Tony has never been good at denying himself anything he wants, and he _wants.)_

One of those delicately carved eyebrows arches upward. "Do you not find it presumptuous to think I would require your company?"

"Not really," Tony answers, finding a bit of his usual haughtiness creeping back. "I'd like to point out that you're the one who sat next to me. Also, I'm Tony Stark."

The look she gives him is neutral, but Tony can tell just how carefully crafted it is. He has worn that look before himself. "Does that line really have women falling into your bed?"

"Usually."

"The ones that matter?"

Tony finds he cannot gather words into his mouth to answer her. Less than five minutes into the conversation and she's got him pegged. No woman that has ever mattered in his life has been impressed by just his name; not Rumiko, not Pepper, not even Natasha. (Not that he would try to sleep with Natasha. He liked his balls where they were, thank you very much.)

"I am sorry," she apologizes after taking a sip of her drink, the silence stretching on uncomfortably long. "That was rather rude of me." She sets her drink back down, offering Tony a softer smile. "I shall sit here and distract any would be opportunists from you as way of amends, shall I?"

Tony leans back in his seat, finding that he is returning her smile. "All right, Princess, let's see if you're up to the task."

Her eyes gleam at the challenge, and oh, _Tony wants._

"I-I like you," Tony finds himself slurring hours, and as many women, later. "You're clever, and I don't say that about many people." Lady, as he had taken to calling her after her disapproval of Princess, had more than been up to the challenge of being Tony's anti wingman. If he hadn't been attracted to her before, and who is he kidding, of course he was, he is boarding on obsessed now.

"Then I shall always hold your compliment close to my heart," Lady says, her voice sweet with just a dash of danger. She helps Tony stand.

"Are we leaving?" he asks, standing closer to her than he probably should.

"I am sending you home. Think of the headlines tomorrow if you were stabbed in some dark ally. I would weep," Lady says, her voice slow and steady so that Tony can catch her words.

"No you wouldn't," Tony snorts. He grabs a hold of her hand, intertwining those beautiful lithe fingers with his own, and does not see her roll her eyes. "I don't wanna go back. Take me home with you." They're outside now, and Tony's not sure how or when that happened.

She stares at him coolly before answering. "I am not sleeping with you."

"Ab~so~lutely not, Lady. I am a gentlemen…man…person."

"Try to and you will find my door closed to you."

"Aye, aye, Captain Crunch…Lady…person."

She rolls her eyes, this time Tony sees it, but the grip on his hand tightens as she drags Tony, acting like a hyperactive six year old, somewhere not haunted with the memory of Pepper.

/

Tony groans when he wakes. He knows three things almost instantly. One, he got very, very drunk last night, and is now suffering for it. Two, this is not his couch; they are much comfier than this. Three, something smells absolutely delicious.

Moaning loudly the inventor pushes himself up slowly. He moans again when he opens his eyes, his head pounding in protest against the light. Well, it's not the worst hangover he's ever had at least. But what the hell happened last night?

There's a clink on the coffee table as someone sets a mug down in front of him. A beautiful woman with long legs and dark hair quirks an eyebrow, looking far too amused by his current condition. Ah right, he'd gone home with Lady last night. "You sounded like you could use this."

Tony's eyes follow her as she walks back over to the kitchen where those wonderful smells are coming from. Lady is dressed in a loose t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, revealing so much of that smooth pale skin, and Tony really needs to stop staring now.

He turns his head toward the mug instead and sees that it is filled with coffee, black and strong, just the way he likes it. He takes a huge gulp, smacking his lips loudly. "Lady, you are an angel." The smirk that graces her lips makes Tony feel as if he is missing out on some inside joke. Tony loves inside jokes, just not when he isn't part of them.

Tony amuses himself by looking around the apartment. It is small and clean, but despite the space being filled by furniture and books (there are _a lot _of books) the entire atmosphere has a strange sterile feeling. Eventually Tony's eyes go back to the coffee table and the pieces of mail sitting there. It's intrusive, but he is Tony and he's never really learned limits on social privacy. He leans over until he can read the name on the envelops: Raziel Vinter.

He knows that name. Where does he know that name from? She is not a consultant for SHIELD. He'd checked all of them out, and Tony would remember if Lady was one. Did he know her from MIT? No, that isn't it. Lady is definitely younger than him, so even if she had gone to MIT she wouldn't have been in his class. Business? Considering he hasn't been to a meeting in months that doesn't seem likely either. He hasn't already slept with her, has he? Shit, he doesn't know.

Tony leans back against the couch, still trying to think of where he knows that name from. And he is sure he only knows the name. If he'd had that face to put to it he'd definitely remember it. Those eyes were not something Tony would be forgetting anytime soon. All right, so not business, villains, or school, that left the scientific community.

And then he had it. Raziel Vinter had caused an uproar in the scientific community last month with an article that had pretty much revolutionized the understanding of dark matter. Raziel's article had been one of the best things Tony had read since Bruce's work. He had Bruce had even spent an entire night talking about it. Sure, the article hadn't been without its flaws, but Raziel is young with quite a bit of potential. That's why Tony had remembered her name.

"Who name their kid Raziel?" Oh yes, that is a wonderful way to start a conversation.

Raziel doesn't even look away from the stove. "It's a secret."

Okay, whatever that meant. "I read your article."

"Did you?" She reaches up into the cabinets and pulls down two plates. "And what did the great Tony Stark think of my work?" Lady comes around the counter with two plates and hands one to Tony before sitting down next to him.

Tony's mouth waters at the sight of crepes and fresh strawberries. (The good thing about drinking heavily for years? Hang over tend not to keep him down for long.) He takes a bite before answering, and okay, that's just not fair. Raziel is beautiful, elegant, smart, her cooking is divine, and she has already made herself off limits.

"I thought the hypothesis was sound, but if you want to create a new theory you're going to have to work on how you're experiment is carried out."

Raziel sighs and nods. "Yes, but in order to do that I need better equipment. I had to publish the paper if I wanted to be noticed."

"Is that why you approached me last night, because you know I can give you access to that equipment?"

"You flatter yourself, Mr. Stark," Raziel says as she cuts into her crepe. "Publishing that article already gained me what I needed. Running into you last night was no more than a chance meeting."

Tony blinks as he processes her words. "I feel as if I've just been insulted."

Raziel offers him that smirk again, and okay, Tony knows that smirk from somewhere, but he _knows_ he has never seen Raziel before the bar last night. "Now why would I ever do that?"

"You seem to enjoy messing with people."

Raziel sighs melodramatically. "They just make it so easy."

Tony takes a few more bites before he asks, "Did you gain any of your ideas from what happened in New York?"

"Yes." Raziel's mischievous attitude dissipates somewhat at the mention of the invasion. Tony can't blame her, New York is not a happy memory for many people. "I doubt we have yet to fully experience all the changes the invasion brought with it. I had thought to maybe bring away something good from it."

Tony opens his mouth to respond, but the sound of AC/DC cuts through the apartment. It takes him a moment of staring at Raziel and she staring back for Tony to realize it is his cell phone. He pulls the device from his pocket and groans when he sees it's a call to assemble. "I have to go."

Raziel smiles at him, but this time there's a bit of sadness to it…it says something horrible about him that that makes him kind of happy. "You are a busy man."

"Unfortunately." Tony stands and stretches, taking more time than he should so that his eyes can linger on Raziel. "Can I have your number?"

The look he gets in return clearly tells Tony that Raziel is reassign her opinion on his level of genius.

"Ah, so I can talk to you about your research sometime!" he attempts to reassure her.

Raziel still hesitates. "Mr. Stark-"

"Please, Tony. I hate it when people call me Mr. Stark."

"…I am not interested in going to bed with you."

"I would be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy it if you did, but really, this is just about research. I need intelligent stimulation."

She rolls those beautiful green eyes but holds her hand out for his phone. Tony hands it to her, watching over her shoulder as she types in her number. "This is for research purposes only."

Tony holds up his hand in the Boy Scout salute. "On my honor."

Raziel raises an eyebrow. "I have a hard time believing you were a Boy Scout."

Tony's phone rings again, this time it's Coulson to nag at him about why he is not on his way to wherever the hell the Avengers are fighting this time. He answers with, "I'm coming," and heads for Raziel's front door, mouthing 'I'll call you' before shutting the door behind him.

/

Loki cannot keep the smirk from his face once the door closes. With a wave of his hand the dishes are cleaned and back in the cabinet. His features shift from Raziel's back to his own, and through it all the smirk remains. "That went perfectly."

/

"Hey, JARVIS," Tony says while flying between skyscrapers, "look up Raziel for me, will ya?"

"Anything for you, sir." A moment later the A.I. says, "Raziel is an angel known as "The Keeper of Secrets" and "Angel of Mysteries."

Tony can't help it, he laughs. "Perfect."


	2. Talk Science and Money to Me, Lady

This story is a test in self control that I am failing. I wasn't going to post this until Monday, but ehhh, nope, have it now.

/

Tony can't believe he actually feels nervous. Women don't make him nervous. Raziel herself doesn't actually make him nervous, but deciding to make an impulse visit to her after a week of nothing makes him nervous. He should bring flowers, or chocolate, or…something. But what if she has pollen allergies, or is one of those strange people who doesn't like chocolate? Raziel does not seem like the person to really be forgiving about those sorts of things, even if Tony could claim ignorance.

And that was when Tony walks past a pet shop. Okay, granted she could have animal allergies, but come on, how is a puppy not a good idea? Tony is the first to admit he is not a pet person, but for some reason the idea of giving Raziel the cute little husky puppy wagging its tail at the sight of him will not go away.

Half an hour later Tony is walking out of the pet store with the puppy tucked under his arm, and food and supplies in hand. He soon wishes he had brought the car, because carrying a hyper puppy with no free hands through the streets of New York to Raziel's apartment is not a fun experience.

"What is that?" Raziel asks immediately when she opens the door to her apartment. She steps aside so that Tony can enter.

"I got you a puppy," Tony answers, trying to sound confident. He is beginning to question this decision. The puppy attempts to leap out of his arms, making Tony go for an awkward grab that has the puppy letting out a loud whimper.

Raziel makes a noise of disgust and takes the puppy from him. "You do not hold a dog like that."

"I haven't held a dog since I was seven," Tony counters.

She doesn't answer, but she does move to the bags Tony had set down on her couch. Raziel sets the puppy down, pressing her down and telling her, 'sit' in an authoritative tone. The puppy whines but obeys, and Tony is pretty sure that she's too young to have had any training before, so he's kind of impressed. "Well," Raziel says as she goes through the bags, "you at least brought me the essentials." She takes the bowls and moves to the kitchen, filling them with food and water before setting them down. The puppy gets up and follows her new owner eagerly. "Does she have a name?"

"Uhhh, nope. She's yours, you get to name her," is Tony's answer.

Raziel clicks her tongue, clearly unimpressed. She looks down, studying the puppy for a moment before calling out, "Senta." The puppy looks up and barks happily before she goes back to eating.

"Did you have a dog before?" Tony asks, because it's either that or Raziel is the new dog whisperer.

Raziel's lips turn upward only slightly. "A wolfhound, years ago." There's a lot of pain in her voice, and Tony is suddenly unsure again.

"Look," he says, running a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry if this was wrong. I…I can take her to the Tower or something. Cap would probably love having a dog."

"No." Raziel shakes her head. "You did nothing wrong. I shall talk to the landlord later today about arrangements for her. Besides, I have already named her."

Tony smiles at her. "If there's any added fees to your rent, let me know. It's only fair I pay them since I brought her here."

Raziel raises an eyebrow and shrugs. "I am not so rich as to turn down such an offer when presented to me."

The inventor snorts. Well, at least she is honest about taking his money.

Raziel comes back over to the couch and sits, the puppy following once again to jump up beside her to eagerly paw at Raziel's lap. "So," she starts, fingers petting Senta as the husky bounds back and forth across her lap, "is there a particular reason you decided to bring me a dog today?"

Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair again. "You ever get to that point in an experiment where you're just stuck, and you realize you're stagnate, and every little thing just frustrates you more and more?" He can ask her this because he considers her a fellow scientist.

"Ah," Raziel responds, instantly understanding, "so I am your distraction then."

Tony thinks about saying no, but it's an obvious lie, and Raziel would see right through it. "Yeah, pretty much." He shoots her an apologetic smile.

Raziel laughs softly. "Well then, since you are here, you can make yourself useful and look over my notes."

He whines in response, Senta turning and mimicking him. On one hand, he had come here to get away. On the other, science,science with Raziel.

The green eyed woman stands and places Senta in Tony's lap as she retrieves a file from her bookcase. "I shall make dinner if you do," she tempts him, holding the file out to him.

Tony offers a moment of resistance, merely out of pride, before he crumbles and takes the file. "You don't fight fair, Lady." His mouth is practically salivating at the memory of Raziel's breakfast. "But ugh, why are you using paper?"

"Because my employer is not as careful with paper as he is with electronics," Raziel calls from the kitchen.

"And who is your employer?"

"Secret," she answers with a laugh.

Tony fakes a glower. "I know it's your namesake, but do you really have to make that your motto?"

Raziel just laughs and continues cooking, leaving Tony to look over her experiment.

"Your mind is beautiful, nearly as beautiful as my own," Tony says an hour later once he is full and has finished reading.

Raziel chuckles as she sets a coffee cup before him and joins him on the couch. "Another compliment from the great Tony Stark. I must be very special."

"Must be," Tony says, looking at the notes and shaking his head. "This could seriously change how we counter another alien threat."

"But," Raziel almost sighed as she leans back, the coffee mug warming her hands, "it also has the potential to be misused." At Tony's silent look of 'explain', she adds, "It is meant to be a new way for people to travel, but it could so easily be turned into a weapon, just as is the fate of everything else that is not created with the intention to be a weapon."

Tony's mind goes back to when SHIELD tried to create weapons with the Tesseract. He can't really argue with her. SHIELD is only the beginning of what he has seen. More than anyone he knows how easy it is to manipulate something into a weapon; he'd done it to himself.

"Tony?" Raziel's quiet voice snaps him out of his musings. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

Tony waves her off. "It's all right. We've all got those topics that set us off. You've probably got a few yourself." Wow, Tony, how about you stop talking now? Apparently, however, his mouth doesn't feel like listening to his brain today. "I mean, look at your apartment. It's lived in, but it doesn't feel lived in. There's no photos, the only personal things are your books. I'd say there was something really bad that happened between you and your family, and either they shunned you, or you're trying to keep them away." Oh wow, seriously, he is going to go back to the Tower and tell Bruce he needs to cut out Tony's tongue.

Raziel places her coffee cup on the table with such deliberate slowness that Tony knows he is in trouble. Well, he knew he was in trouble before that, but the action enforced it. "Mr. Stark." Yep, he is going to die.

"Raziel, I'm-"

She actually places her hand over his mouth to keep him from talking. That is probably a good idea. "You have no idea how to talk to a woman unless you are wooing her, do you?"

Tony shakes his head, because that is the smart thing to do. By the way, who says 'wooing' anymore?

"Then," she continues with the same measured pace at which she had put down the coffee cup, "I will, this one time, forget you said anything about my personal life. You would do well not to bring up my family again."

She pauses, and Tony takes the hint to nod his understanding again.

"Good. Then, tomorrow is my day off. Unless the world is ending, you shall buy me lunch at the restaurant of my choosing as an apology. Let me make it clear, this is an apology, not a date." The hand drops from his mouth, and Raziel stands, taking the mugs with her.

"You are a woman of expensive tastes, aren't you?"

"Yes." Raziel throws a smirk over her shoulder that has Tony doing the same. "But you can afford it."

"You're not just using me for my money, are you?" Tony pouts, jokingly expressing the concern he always had with people.

"Of course not. I like you for your mind too."

Well, if anything, at least she knows how to make him laugh.

/

At 12:41 p.m. Tony receives a text that says simply,** Masa, 1:30.** "Whelp, that's it for me," Tony says as he stands, already typing in the number to the restaurant. "I have a dinner date," he practically sings.

"Stark! Get your ass back in that seat!" Fury shouts at him.

"Nope." He is out the door before anyone could offer another protest, although Fury's voice does follow him down the hallway.

A phone call, in which he is assured that of course they would have a table ready for Tony Stark and company, and no, the short notice is no problem at all, and fifty minutes later, Tony is smiling as Raziel joins him at the table.

"Good afternoon, gorgeous," Tony greets with a smirk.

Raziel rolls her eyes. "Keep that up and people will think we are a couple." She raises an eyebrow, daring him to comment.

Of course, he is Tony, and he doesn't always do smart things. "Aw, baby- ow!" He rubs his shin where Raziel had kicked him. "Thanks for not wearing heels."

"Anytime, baby," she shoots back, her lips curving upwards.

If he isn't careful he might very well fall in love with this woman. 'Oh, whoa, slow down and back up, Tony,' he thinks, trying to keep the sudden conflict of horror and confusion from his face. "So," he says slowly, trying to give himself time to recover, "Masa, most expensive sushi restaurant in town. Somehow I'm not surprised."

Raziel shrugs her shoulders. "I like sushi. It was an opportunity I was not about to pass up."

Tony raises both eyebrows at her. "You really aren't afraid of using my money, are you?"

"Would you prefer I be humble the appropriate amount of time before accepting your generosity?" Those green eyes are laughing at him. God damn, they are beautiful. "I'm not like that, and I never will be."

"Genuine."

"Excuse me?" Raziel looks as if Tony had reached across the table and slapped her.

"The word you're looking for is genuine. Seriously, around someone like me there aren't many people willing to be themselves."

Raziel doesn't respond. A silence falls between them, but it isn't that uncomfortable silence that had been between the Avengers the first time Steve attempted group night. Ugh, that had been absolutely horrible. No, this silence is comfortable. Tony actually feels happy just being with her.

Oh, oh that is really dangerous.

He manages to make it through the rest of lunch without showing any obvious signs of distress…okay, maybe a few, because Raziel seems concerned about him by the time they part outside the restaurant. Tony had been planning on taking her home, but nope, bad idea. Why is it the one woman who only wants friendship from him, is the one he has to start falling in love with?

As soon as he slides into the backseat of his car, he calls to have his private jet readied. It would be best for everyone involved if Tony went to Malibu for a bit.


	3. Bang, Bang, Boom, Date?

"Yo."

"'Yo'? You leave for three months without a single word, and all you have to say is 'yo'?" None of the team seem particularly impressed. Steve is giving him that 'I'm very disappointed in you' stare, and coming from Captain America it is almost effective, probably would have been if it wasn't leveled at Iron Man. A far better motivator for guilt is Bruce looking a bit green. Well, crap.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run off on you guys, I just needed to get away for awhile." And if Pepper hadn't given him a major guilt trip, he'd probably still be in Malibu pouting over Raziel.

"Tony, if you had a problem you should have come to us about it. We're a team-"

"It wasn't a team problem," Tony interrupts Steve. "It was personal."

"Girl trouble?" Clint quips.

"No," Tony deadpans back. From the slight looks of disbelief everyone gives him, he completely fails at fooling them. He has been spending too much bonding time with these guys.

"Pepper?" Steve asks, because apparently his personal life was now a team problem.

"No," Tony repeats.

Well, that shocks them again, everyone except for Bruce. After a moment the scientist says, "Raziel," and it clearly isn't a question.

Tony points at him. "No more drunk confessions for you."

"Who is Raziel?" Thor asks, the usually boisterous god finally speaking up. "If these are matters of the heart, then you must discover if she feels the same for you! Friend Tony, if you run from her another will claim her heart before you!"

"Uh, thanks Thor, but Raziel's made it clear that she just wants to be friends. But I can't think of her as just a friend. That's why I left."

"Are you absolutely sure she wouldn't be with you?" Natasha asks.

"Okay, am I really that mopey that even _you_ are trying to encourage me to start a relationship now?" That _seriously_ can't be that case.

"Yes," Natasha answers, while behind her Clint nods sagely.

Tony groans, his head dropping forward to bang against the table top. "I'm so screwed."

Steve awkwardly pats his back while Tony continues to bang his head.

/

The next time Tony Stark returns to New York, Loki is going to very slowly peel the skin from his bones. In fact, if he doesn't return soon, Loki might very well visit this Malibu himself. His plan had been going so well, and then that man had just left! He should have predicted this when he started messing with Stark. This is the problem when trying to infiltrate the life of a man with emotional problems.

_"Genuine."_ He slams the stack of notebooks that contains his research notes on the desk beside his computer. He is the God of Lies! The God of Lies is not genuine! Three months and his anger (confusion) over that statement still has not sizzled out.

"Miss Vinter," a mechanical voice says behind him.

Loki spins around, forcing Raziel's face into a less angered expression. It would not do for his current employer to see Raziel upset. "Dr. Doom," she greets lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"You were rather focused on your research, it seems."

"Yes." Loki bobs his head in a nod. "Did you come for my monthly report? It is unusual for you to come for it yourself."

The monarch takes a step closer to him. "Doom has been intrigued by your research…and by you."

Well, shit.

/

Why is it every time he stands in front of Raziel's apartment building, he feels like he would rather face down a kraken? Oh right, because he is in love with her, because he is stupid. "Uuuuuggggghhhhh," is his very intelligent remark as he ran a hand through his hair. He can do this, he can totally do this. It is Raziel. He enjoys Raziel's company…which is why he is in this position in the first place. "And now I'm just going in circles," he mutters under his breath. The woman that passes him looks at him as if he is insane. The charming smile he tries to throw her just ends up looking pained.

And then the world is tilting, and he is headed for the sidewalk as a grey and white blur tackles him. The next few seconds are filled with Tony laughing as he tries to push the overactive puppy off of him, while Senta meanwhile seems determined to cover his face in puppy kisses. Tony finally pushes her back enough so he can sit up. "You can't be Senta! You're huge!" he tells the husky, who only barks happily in response.

"Well, you haven't seen her for three months. They do tend to grow." He looks along Senta's leash to Raziel, who does not look the least bit happy to see him.

How dare he? How dare he come back after three months of nothing? If Stark thinks Loki is going to take him back after this, he is in for a horrible surprise. Loki pauses, because he is not the one in a relationship with Stark, that is Raziel. She and Loki are different. He always makes sure to make a distinction between himself and his aliases. Not only does it throw suspicion off his character, it keeps Loki from losing himself. He is on dangerous ground with Raziel. She might very well have to be disposed of, and this mission concluded sooner than Loki would like.

"Uh, Raziel?" Loki's eyes snap back to Tony, causing the man to flinch at the fury within them. Good, he should feel horrible.

"Do you see my life as a game that you can waltz in and out of however you please?" Standing between them, Senta begins to whine. "He left. Why are you being nice to him?" he asks the dog. Senta just whines again.

"Look, Raziel," Tony sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I don't say that often and mean that, but I really do this time. I didn't mean to hurt you-"

"Hurt me?" Loki hisses in Raziel's higher voice. "I know you need a football stadium to house your giant ego, but do not think yourself so important that you could actually hurt me. I simply cannot abide rude people."

Tony takes a deep breath while Loki continues to simmer in his anger. "Can we just talk? That's all I ask, and if you still don't want to see me after that, I'll walk away. You'll never have to see me again."

Well, that is interesting. Perhaps his plan has not failed after all. And Loki knows just how to test that theory. He makes Raziel's slim form shiver as a breeze passes. The day has turned cold quickly, and he had not taken a jacket with him when he left to walk Senta. Not that he needs one, but Stark doesn't know that.

Just as Loki had predicted, Stark leaps to offer Raziel his coat. Loki glares at it before taking it with a sharp 'thank you.'

"So," Tony says slowly, "can I come in?"

"You just gave me your jacket," Loki counters. "That would be a rather redundant action if we went inside now."

Stark rolls his eyes. "Lady, you are an impossibility."

Loki clicks his tongue. "Now, now, Tony, I do believe you were trying to apologize to me."

As soon as he has finished shrugging on the jacket, Loki's attention becomes divided. Across the street, one of his clones laughs from its position on the rooftop. "What's this?" the clone teases. "Has the Man of Iron found someone to penetrate that metal heart?"

Stark spins on his heel, placing his body between Loki and the clone. Loki mentally smirks at Stark's protectiveness. The inventor pulls out his phone, texting a message behind his back. Loki as Raziel has the perfect view. The message containing one word, **_Loki_**, goes to the Widow. As he slides the phone back in his pocket, Loki sees him press on the bracelet he wears, the same one he had been wearing when Loki had thrown him out the window.

"Haven't seen you in awhile, Crazy," Stark shouts at the clone, trying his best to appear casual. "Got tired of not getting any attention from us?"

The clone raises its eyebrow. "Really now, Stark, you are not the center of my world. I have other plans, not involving you, which had to be taken care of. And what do I see when I return? The Man of Iron has gone and found himself a new toy."

Stark's face hardens. "Raziel," he says softly. "Go inside. I'll come get you after I beat this guy's ass into the pavement."

"Tony-" Loki starts.

"Hey, don't worry. This is my job." He turns to look at Raziel over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Senta will protect you." Senta's bark is drowned out by the noise of the suit rushing towards them. The next second it is wrapping around Stark and he is shooting off into the air.

Tony flies up until he is hovering in front of Loki. "You just going to sit there, Dasher? I thought you came out to play," he taunts. He should probably not taunt the God of Mischief, because it never ends well, but then he just wouldn't be Tony.

Loki grins, and Tony swears he has seen that smile before. A memory tugs at the back of his mind, but he can't quite reach it. "If you wish for the party to begin now, then who am I to deny?"

The sky behind Loki darkens as a giant…something rises up behind the building to block out the sun. "Me and my big mouth," Tony mutters.

Loki laughs, green eyes flashing with humor. And then it clicks. Tony knows exactly where he has seen that look before. It's a good thing he has the faceplate down, or else Loki would have seen the realization on his face.

And he thought he was screwed before.

/

Loki waits for Tony next to the apartment mailboxes. He knows Stark will win, his death now would only hinder Loki's plan. Already he has Stark emotionally compromised, he has the code to call the Avengers, and now knows how Stark summons his armor. Soon he will be able to pry information on the other Avengers from him, and then they will all fall in the most magnificent ways.

At least that is what Loki tells himself. A piece of his mind is actually worried about Stark, even though he knows there is nothing to be worried about. The inventor gets swatted out of the sky and crashes into the street in front of Raziel's apartment. The man looks up, pauses for a moment when he sees her, and then is right back into the fight.

The rest of the Avengers arrive. A full on slot commences, and not even ten minutes later the creature lets out a death cry, falling onto the line of parked cars that had not been damaged in the fight. Tony lands and takes off his helmet. After exchanging a few words with the Captain, he heads for the apartment. His face looks grim, and immediately Loki thinks that something has gone wrong.

"Hey," he says when he is standing in front of Raziel. "You okay?"

Loki nods. "I'm fine. Senta is too." He bends over slightly to scratch the dog's head. He doesn't actually have to go far, the husky has grown rather fast. Senta's tongue lulls out of her mouth, panting happily under the attention. "You? That hit you took didn't look good."

"Nah, I'm good." Tony gives him a small grin, tapping the suit proudly. "This baby is the best armor in creation."

"Well, my brave hero," Loki teases, "what can I do to show my thanks?"

Tony wiggles his eyebrows, obviously thinking up quite a few things, but then he catches himself. The inventor clears his throat and rubs the back of his head. Interesting. "Uh, make me dinner again?"

"What is it with you and my food?"

"It's good food!" Tony protests.

"And?"

"And," Tony sighs, giving in because it is Raziel, "I really want a chance to persuade you that we should be friends again."

Loki pauses as if he is thinking it over. "Fair enough. Tomorrow at seven. If you're late, it all goes in the trash." He looks over Tony's shoulder to where the rest of the Avengers are waiting. Well, Hawkeye is amusing himself by poking the creature with an arrow while the others try to get a good look at Raziel. "I think our audience is growing impatient."

Tony looks back and shakes his head. "Of course they are. Okay, tomorrow, eight."

"Seven!" Loki shouts at his back.

"Knew that!"

/

Across the street, a man has watched the entire exchange. He takes one last bite of his paste mixture, a smirk spreading across his face. He has been looking for someone to test his new experiment on, and Stark's friend is just so pretty. How is one to resist?


	4. They Always Go for the Girlfriend

It is a strange pressure that wakes Loki. Senta pokes him with her nose, whining softly. Something is obviously very wrong. He wraps an arm around Senta's head, holding her close as his magic searches for the disturbance.

The device turns out to be on the roof. The effects are slowly traveling down the apartment. Already the people on the top floor are still, only unconscious Loki discovers when his magic probes closer. Two floors above his own, a young woman is on the phone with the police, her daughter having already passed out. Great, that means SHIELD will have their grubby little hands all over this, probably already do. It's a fifty-fifty chance that Fury will call the Avengers in. Loki isn't taking the chance of Stark seeing his true form and shifts to Raziel. Senta barely bats an eye, she is used to his transformations at this point, but she continues to paw at him. "Shh, it's all right, Senta."

As he slides out of bed, the pressure reaches his floor. Overhead, the sound of one of SHIELD's infernal air crafts lets Loki know that the agency has arrived. His magic quickly makes its way back up to the roof, and just as he feared, the Avengers are the ones that have been called in to deal with this little problem. Of course, as soon as Stark found out where the trouble was, there is no way he would stay out of it.

There is no choice. If Loki wants to keep his cover, he is going to have to act human, and that means taking on the symptoms of the other residents. That means giving himself a fever, trace amounts of radiation, and passing out. Loki sighs and pets Senta gently. The husky is already languid and shaking. "You'll be fine, Senta," Loki tells her softly. "I won't let this hurt you. You'll sleep, and wake up in a few hours feeling tired. That's all." Senta whines, but finally closes her eyes.

Loki arranges himself on the floor as if he had fallen. Another deep breath, and then he turns his magic against himself. He grits his teeth as the fever comes. Oh, it is so much worse now that Loki is aware of his heritage. The front door crashes open just as Loki's eyes drop closed.

/

"Zeke!" Tony shouts at the man standing next to the device.

Ezekiel Stane turns his head up to grin at the armored Avenger. "So good of you to join me, Stark. You're a little early. The radiation levels haven't had enough time to really build up, although your pretty friend probably isn't feeling too good right about now."

"If you hurt her-"

"You killed my father," Zeke cuts him off. "Seems only fair I take something important from you. And it's thanks to you I have the equipment to do so." He raises his arm to reveal a replusor glove.

'Shit, where the hell did he get that?' Zeke has always been smart, but Tony had never employed him because Stane's son had never shown any skill at innovation.

Before Zeke can fire, a shield hits his arm, sending the man spinning to the ground. "Iron Man!" Cap shouts into the coms, jumping from the quintjet to rush Zeke. "Leave him to us. Deactivate that device."

"Right," Tony answers as he lands. That is much more important right now than confronting Zeke. But that's his tech Zeke is wielding…and apparently it's his tech Zeke used for his device as well. Well that's just peachy. Fortunately that means Tony knows exactly how to deactivate the stupid thing. It makes him all of two minutes to shut the machine off, which means he looks up just in time to see Zeke fire his replusor glove at Cap's face. There's a flash of light and Zeke ends up on the floor screaming in agony.

"Backfired, didn't it?" Tony says as he walks over to the fallen man. "Didn't anticipate the energy backlash?"

"Fuck you, Stark," Zeke growls through gritted teeth. Most of his right side has been burnt, and Tony can see bits of bone through the charred flesh of Zeke's arm.

"Take care of this, Cap. I need to check on Raziel. I want his equipment though. I need to know figure out how he got a hold of it."

"Go, I'll make sure it's sent back to the Tower."

"Thanks." Tony yanks the roof access door open and half runs half flies down the stairwell. They should really make stairwells wide enough for him to just fly down them properly. It'd be so much easier. He doesn't bother knocking when he reaches Raziel's door, just yanks it half way off its hinges. "Raziel!" he shouts. The apartment is oddly quiet. It makes the fear in Tony's heart increase tenfold. He rushes down the hallway to the bedroom just in time to see Raziel's eyes drop closed.

/

Tony sits next to Raziel, amusing himself by playing some game where he has to do parkour tricks to get his stolen items back from zombies. Really he is thinking about the woman in the bed next to him. He had been certain Raziel was actually Loki, but here she is in the hospital. She has the exact symptoms of the others in the apartment. Loki, Asgardian god, would not have been effected by Ezekiel Stane's little device. The little device that had originally been Tony's, and Zeke had rebuilt to serve his own needs. He knows Zeke is the reason Raziel is lying in that bed right now, but he can't help feeling responsible.

He leans back in his chair, groaning loudly as the StarkPad drops into his lap. This whole thing has his mind running in circles.

"Bad day?" a soft voice asks.

Tony's head whips to the side to see Raziel finally awake. Her green eyes are looking at him with an emotion he cannot place. "You could say that. My date didn't show up for dinner. It was heartbreaking."

"Oh, I'm sure she had her reasons. You are the great Tony Stark after all." Raziel turns her head to look at the room, tearing out her IVs. Tony smiles, because he really should have seen that coming. "Where is Senta?"

"Cap's looking after her. All the animals woke up about an hour after the attack."

"What happened?" She turns back to him. Damn, those eyes, there's no unseeing it, those are Loki's eyes.

Tony takes a deep breath, because no, she is Raziel, and Raziel is just a really smart human. "It was Ezekiel Stane. He reworked one of my inventions, and used it to attack you. Ever since his father's death, he's been trying to hurt me by hurting the people around me." He pauses, running a hand through his hair. "It's my fault you got pulled into this. Knowing me has put you in danger."

Raziel looks at him like he is an idiot. "You do realize I went into this knowing full well who you are, and that it was possible someone would target me to hurt you?"

"I, uh…" Tony blinks a few times, trying to process that information. That thought had never crossed his mind.

The woman rolls her eyes as she slides off the bed. "I thought so. Now, where are my clothes?"

Tony smiles at her, truly smiles, and he sees the surprise in her eyes. There's a part of him that doesn't care if Raziel does turn out to be Loki. He has to be careful around her, but there is no way he can stay away for long. "I don't know, I think the whole hospital gown is kinda cute on you."

Raziel playfully swats his arm. "You only like it because it opens in the back."

"Does it?" Tony mock gasps. He stands and turns her around. "So it does! Who knew?"

The two dissolve into giggles like they are a couple of teenagers. When she turns to face him again, Tony very nearly kisses her. He catches himself at the last second, but the shock on Raziel's face tells him she guessed his intention. "Ah, sorry," he says, taking a step back. Before she can stop him, Tony is out the door. Once again, his answer to this whole problem is distance.

/

Loki is going to set the little man on fire, a fire that doesn't kill but continually burns, so he can watch the man run around screaming in pain. "What do you mean I've been evicted?"

"Look," the landlord says, his voice shaking a bit as he tries to stare Raziel down, "I can't have you here. It's because you were here we were all put in the hospital, and a lot of residents believe the monster attack yesterday was because of you too. If I don't evict you, people are going to start leaving."

Loki let himself mentally imagine what the little man would look like with one of his daggers sticking out of his face. "My rent-"

"Will be reimbursed, along with your security deposit," the man actually has the gall to interrupt. "Look, your stuff has already been moved out-"

"What?" Loki hisses. The imaginings are getting very close to not being imaginings anymore.

"What's going on?"

Loki turns, eyes practically blazing with fury as he focuses his attention on Tony. "Decided running away once wasn't enough?" he snaps. He is not in the mood to deal with Stark right now.

"Hey, I came to apologize."

"And I am rejecting it. Someone needs to show you that your actions cannot be swept under the rug by pretty words." He turns back to the landlord. "See? I am no longer associated with him. Now let me back into my apartment."

The landlord gulps, but stands his ground. "I can't do that."

"Wait, he evicted you?"

"Yes!" Loki snaps in exasperation. "And all my things have apparently gone into storage!"

"You know you're supposed to give thirty days notice, right?" Tony questions, coming up to stand beside him.

"You are not helping," Loki growls.

"Look, Raziel," Tony says softly, taking Loki's hands in his own, "I've got a place you can stay. And I've got lawyers who will pin this guy to the wall for you, just calm down."

Loki forces himself to take a deep breath. Yes, good, this is good. His whole plan could still be salvageable. "I don't need your charity, Stark," he persists. But he doesn't try to move away. He has to keep up Raziel's personality, and it is Raziel's personality, absolutely none of it is Loki.

"Not charity," Tony counters. "Another apology?"

"I don't want another apology."

"Then one friend helping out another. You can pay me rent at a discounted price or something. And hey, you still owe me dinner!" Tony points out.

Loki glares at him for another second. "I do," he finally relents. "Fine. It's better than arguing with this filth any longer."

Tony's face breaks into a glorious smile that absolutely does not make Loki's heart skip a beat. "Great. Come on, I brought the car this time."

/

"I can't possibly pay you rent for this place," Loki says as soon as he walks into the apartment. It is big, every inch screaming 'Tony Stark lives here!' His eyes widen and he turns on the inventor. "This is your penthouse, isn't it?"

"Yep," Tony answers, absolutely unashamed. "Personal penthouse, so you don't have to pay me anything."

"That was not our agreement!"

"Raziel," Tony sighs, "can you just once accept my help for what it is? I don't need you to give me anything in return. I just want you safe."

It is a ridiculous notion. There is no protection Stark can give him that Loki cannot provide for himself. The Trickster has to mentally kick himself once again for forgetting that it is not Loki Tony sees, but Raziel.

"The bedroom is through there," Tony says, ignoring her indignation for the moment. "You've got a fully stocked kitchen, TVs in the living room and bedroom. There's an extra StarkPad around here somewhere I'll set up for you, don't have a library, don't like paper. JARVIS is programmed in, so he can help you if you need anything else."

Ah, Stark's bodiless helper would be watching him. That is good to know. Stark shifts nervously, actually anxious around Raziel now. "Ah, so yeah, that's all. Well, it's late, so I should probably let you sleep. I mean, you probably need to rest after what Zeke did to you. So yeah, I'm just gonna go and let you…sleep."

Loki feels the breath leave his lungs when Tony turns back to him. The man stares at him, no, not him, Raziel, with something more than desire. Stark has fallen in love with Raziel, and Loki has let too much of Raziel into himself to not reciprocate his feelings.

He reaches out with his transformed hands, entwining his fingers with Tony's and drawing the inventor closer to him. "Stay with me tonight," Raziel's light voice demands.

Tony steps closer to him, his face inches from Loki's own. "What happened to just friends?"

"We have not been 'just friends' for a long time now."

Tony sucks in a breath, his hands gripping Loki's false body in a tighter embrace that would have bruised if it had not been Loki. They have both been in denial about this for so long. Loki knows how Tony's mind is working right now, because it is the same train of thought Loki's is on. The inventor has known for some time about his feelings for Raziel, but as long as it was never said out loud he could hide, be the friend Raziel has wanted instead of the lover Tony desires to be. But now it is out there, and Tony trembles against Loki as the mortal's desire literally brushes against his fingertips.

"Tony," Loki croaks out, "if you do not kiss me right now, I will cry."

He barely gets the last word out before Tony's lips are on his, hips pressing Loki's body against the window. And with that one kiss, Loki is lost.

/

Tony feels a vague sense of déjà vu when he wakes. The penthouse is filled with the smell of breakfast, French toast and coffee. He rolls over, but Raziel's side of the bed is barely warm anymore. It still smells of her though. He hugs the pillow to his face and inhales the scent of cinnamon and pine trees. God, it's like she somehow bottled Christmas into a smell.

When he is fully awake, his brain reminds him there's a very good chance that Raziel is Loki. Of course, that hadn't stopped Tony from sleeping with her, but he is blaming that on the heat of the moment and Raziel's talented lips.

He throws the covers off and rolls off the bed, scratching his stomach as he looks for his clothes. He finds his boxers and pulls those on, but his shirt is missing. He decides to forgo the pants. As soon as he walks into the living room he's hit full force by the delicious smells of food. "That smells heavenly," he groans.

"It's not dinner, but I didn't think you would complain," Raziel says with a laugh.

Oh, he is going to melt under than smile. "Nope, no complaints from this corner." He grins cheekily when he gets closer to the kitchen and sees what Raziel is wearing. "So that's where my shirt went to. Again, no complaints."

Raziel smirks and places a few strawberries onto the plate. "It is a rather comfortable shirt." She places the plate on the counter in front of Tony before grabbing a couple of mugs and pouring coffee.

Tony groans loudly when the first bite of food hits his tongue. "I think my mouth just had an orgasm."

"That is slightly disturbing." She leans against the counter, giving Tony a wonderful view of her breasts.

He takes full advantage of the top two undone buttons to hook his fingers into the shit, pulling her forward to kiss along the bottom of her neck. "You are beautiful."

"Mmm, yes, I believe you told me that repeatedly last night. Although, no complaints," Raziel teases.

Tony chuckles and pulls back to pop a strawberry into his mouth. "Say," he says once he swallows, "there's a charity event all the Avengers are going to next week. You want to come with me?" Tony is the very picture of casual, but he studies Raziel's reaction intensely.

She turns back to the kitchen, busying herself by cleaning up the space, although there's no mess Tony can detect. "I'd rather not," she finally answers. "I enjoy being with you, but…I'd rather not be in the public eye all that much."

"You didn't seem to worry about that much before."

"I wasn't sleeping with you before," Raziel retorts sharply. "It's completely different now."

Tony takes another bite, chewing slowly. The entire time Raziel keeps her back to him. "Is that the real reason, or is it because you know Thor will recognize you? Or did you completely screw up whatever plan you had by sleeping with me?"

Raziel very nearly drops her coffee cup. Tony has to hand it to her, it's a wonderful recovery. She finally turns to look at him, a mask of confusion on her face. "What are you talking about? And why would Thor recognize me? I've never met him before."

This time he takes a sip of coffee before speaking again. "It's the eyes, babe, and the smile. They're rather you. My guess is you can't change the eyes when you shape shift. As for the smile, that was probably unplanned, and you ended up putting too much of yourself into this disguise."

Raziel's eyes take on a hard glare, and there is no longer any denying that Tony's suspicions were correct. At least Loki knows when he's failed. "Then I guess there is no longer a reason to uphold this façade."

"Guess not," Tony says into his coffee cup. "So, that's still a no to the charity event then?"

Loki looks like she is debating throwing him through another window. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but Tony does his best to look unaffected. The coffee cup crashes to the floor as Raziel…Loki vanishes, leaving Tony alone in the penthouse.

"Guess that's a no," he says to himself, trying to ignore the sudden metaphysical pain in his chest.

/

The game Tony is playing in the hospital is called Zombie Parkour Runner.


	5. Kill Me, Kiss Me, Save Me

Finally getting this chapter up after forever. Sorry for making you guys wait so long. But only one more chapter!

/

The next time Tony sees Loki, the God of Mischief has set Central Park on fire. Besides the first fight with him, all of Loki's attacks had been more for his own amusement than anything else. This is chaos, pure destruction in all its forms. Loki means to hurt someone right now, and Tony is pretty sure he knows who Loki is aiming for.

"Crap, crapcrapcrapcrap, crap, crap crapity crap," Tony repeats over and over as the thrusters on the suit finally give out, sending him crashing down onto the top of a roof. "Owwwww," he moans, rolling over onto his back and just lying there.

"Iron Man, what's your status?" Cap asks him over the comms. The concern in his voice makes Tony feel guilty, even though technically it's Loki's fault he's in this position in the first place.

"I'm…alive. But the suit's out of the game. AH! Shit!" Tony cusses, forcing himself to roll toward the edge of the roof in order to avoid the spear tip trying to impale him.

"Iron Man!" Cap shouts again, but Tony is a little too preoccupied to answer at the moment.

"You are such an asshole!" Tony shouts at Loki. If he was worried before, now he's just pissed off. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Oh, I am sure it has nothing to do with you taking advantage of me," Loki sneers. The spear goes from one hand to the other, Loki's lithe fingers tightening around the metal like he is pretending it is Tony's neck…which should not be hot. And it isn't, it really isn't, Tony has more self preservation than that. He just cannot stop his brain from going there for the briefest second.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who disguised myself as a woman in order to attempt to steal Avenger's secrets!"

"He did what!" Oh yeah, forgot to turn off the comms. Well, that secret is out now.

Loki growls, moving forward so fast Tony doesn't register it until he's been hit over the head with the butt of spear. He stumbles to the side, gasping. Before he can recover, the spear's shaft catches him across the gut. He hits the ground and slides, catching himself at the last minute so he only halfway falls off the building.

"You have got to stop throwing me off buildings," Tony grumbles as he pulls himself back up.

"Only once you have stopped breathing." Loki pauses mid-stride, his head whipping around to see Thor coming at them. Loki turns back to Tony so fast that the laws of physics demand his neck breaks. Of course it doesn't, and Loki apparently decides breaking Tony's ribs is good enough for today, because he vanishes the next second (which is really, _really_ annoying), leaving Thor roaring his brother's name up at the sky.

/

Tony hates Fury. To be fair, he hated him before, but he really hates him now. The SHIELD Director had refused to give him painkillers until Tony told them everything he knew about Raziel Vinter. Tony had eventually given in and told them what little he knew, a concussion and four broken ribs just so happened to destroy Tony's patience enough to cooperate, in a completely aggressive way. Pepper, lovely Pepper, had come in, kicked them all out, and gotten him his painkillers. Tony had promptly fallen asleep for a full twenty-six hours.

By the time the fourth nurse comes in, after he had been poked and prodded and charmed the other three, Tony is watching reruns of Will & Grace, and completely bored out of his mind. She looks different, dark auburn hair and a sprinkling of freckles over her skin, but her eyes are the same. Tony can pick out those eyes no matter what form Loki takes on now.

"Come to finish the job, Vixen?" Tony asks, settling back in the pillows smugly.

Loki doesn't answer as she walks into the room. Really, if anyone in this place actually paid any attention, Loki would never have gotten to his room. She isn't wearing scrubs. No, Loki just has to wear the sexy nurse's outfit Tony sees around Halloween all the time. She's even wearing the hat. '_Don't get excited, she will kill you,'_ Tony chants over and over again in his head.

"I have decided you are no longer worthy of killing in battle," Loki says smoothly, sliding onto the bed. She's so close Tony can smell leather and winter. Fuck, he hadn't noticed her smell didn't change either when she transforms. If he closes his eyes he can picture Raziel there, before he knew she was actually Loki trying to use him. Oh shit, his eyes are closed. That is not good.

"So, poison? Smothering? How we going about this then?" Tony asks, his voice full of hostile sarcasm.

Loki grins at him. That dangerous look is so out of place on such a pretty face. "There is no amusement for me in all this if I tell you." Loki brings a hand up to brush against Tony's jaw line. It's so gentle, Tony just wants to relax into it, but his survival instincts have kicked in. "I simply came to tell you that I am destroying Raziel Vinter. Every aspect of her life will disappear. All except for Senta. Tell the good Captain that if he hurts my dog I shall strangle him with his own entrails."

"I'll let him know," Tony answers flatly. Loki needs to stop leaning in so close. He still has feelings for Raziel, and right now his brain is having trouble differentiating between Raziel and Loki. He just can't convince himself there's much of a difference in the first place. Tony's theory is that Loki allowed Raziel to be who Loki really is without all his shields. That has some troubling implications, because it means Tony actually fell in love with a super villain, which is something super heroes are not supposed to do.

"You do that. As for us…" Loki's thumb brushes over Tony's bottom lip, causing his breath to catch. She presses her own to his in what might be the softest kiss Tony has even participated in. Tony tries to keep his eyes open, but they are rapidly growing too heavy, and all that escapes his lips are whispered grumbles. "Goodbye, Tony Stark."

/

There is one more thing Loki has to do before Raziel can disappear. Loki shoves down the tiny voice in the back of his head that tells him Stark has made him soft. Otherwise, Loki would have just left the information with Doom, allowing the monarch to cause whatever chaos he wanted with it. Loki grumbles to himself as he goes through his files, preparing them all for deletion.

"Miss Vinter, I am surprised to see you here so late."

Loki mentally curses himself. That is another thing, whenever he is angry with Stark his perception of his surroundings seems to go right out the window. Loki does his best to put a tired smile on Raziel's face. "Oh, I hadn't realized." Loki runs a hand over his face.

Doom comes to look over his shoulder. "Is there a problem with these files?" He leans in further, close enough for Loki to feel his breath against his ear. "This is your whole project."

Loki sighs heavily and shakes his head. "I was frustrated, and this was my therapy, if you will."

Doom laughs softly, not menacingly or anything, which just puts Loki even more on edge. "It would be a shame for all this work to disappear." Doom presses a few keys on the console, and the deletion sequence is aborted. "I am about to have dinner. I would be delighted if you joined me."

It is not as if Loki has much of a choice but to go along with him when Doom takes Loki's arm in his, leading him away from the work station. It is either that or blow his cover at this point.

"I told you before your work intrigued me. I have been meaning to find time to talk to you about it."

"It's an honor to have you take such an interest in my work," Loki says humbly.

"Yes," Doom says in a way that sends a shiver down Loki's spine. "There has been work with dark matter before, but your take on it is truly inspired."

There is something wrong, Loki thinks as Doom leads him into a dining room. Doom never offers people compliments like this. His ego is too large, much too large for a mortal. There are only two things this could mean. One, Doom is actually interested in Raziel for more than her work, which Loki thinks (hopes) is unlikely. Or two, Doom is setting up a trap. Either way, Loki needs to proceed carefully.

Doom elegantly maneuvers Loki into a chair, before taking his place across from him. A servant pours them each a glass of white wine, which Doom holds up for a toast. "To progress," he says, his voice sounding much too smug for Loki's liking.

Loki smiles gratefully before bringing the glass to his lips. He allows himself a small spark of magic to check for poison, not that it would harm Loki. The magic test reveals nothing, so Loki allows himself a small sip. He watches Doom carefully, but with the mask on it is hard to judge the man's reaction. He cannot be sure, but it looks like the skin around Doom's eyes crinkle up as if he is smiling.

"This wine is excellent," Loki tells him, forcing his smile a bit wider. For anyone else it would look forced, but Loki is a player, has been for years. If Doom wants to play Loki is more than willing to teach him a lesson.

"You have wonderful taste. This is one of my favorites." Doom takes another sip while two more servants place bowls of soup before them.

Loki does the magic test again before allowing any of the soup into his mouth. The whole dinner goes like that, exchanging little comments while tension builds up between them. Loki needs to figure out what Doom's game plan is soon, before the man realizes there is something off about Raziel.

Actually, Loki needs to leave. His body feels strange. Somehow Doom has done something to him without Loki realizing. That is beyond irritating, but Loki has stayed alive this long by knowing when to flee. He can only come back to figure out what is going on if he remains alive to do so.

"Thank you for dinner, but…" Loki starts, only to trail off when his throat clenches up and it becomes hard to draw air into his lungs. The change hits so fast Loki isn't prepared to counter it. His whole body freezes up, and he is forced to lean against the table for support. "Wh…at?" he manages.

Doom twirls the wine glass between his armored fingers. "A new invention of mine, a colorless, odorless, magically undetectable liquid that shuts down the body's ability to channel magic." The monarch pauses to take another sip of wine. "Of course, the normal dosage would have put a mortal magician down with a single sip. You have held up admirably, but I cannot allow such a valuable resource as the God of Mischief to slip through my fingers."

Loki growls weakly, his whole body shaking as he slides off the chair. No matter what he tries his magic will not respond. Doom comes to stand over him, and yes, those eyes are definitely crinkled in a smile.

Bastard.


End file.
